Nicotine & Tar

Product Notes

Filtered were an indie-rock trio from London, UK, active between 2000 and 2006. Kabir Sheikh (guitar/vocal) and Fraser Whitehead (bass) had played in various bands before the duo recorded Filtered's debut album, 'New Moon', in January 2001. Reviews stated 'Filtered have plenty of strong melodies [and] brilliant songs, played by fine musicians... a new force to be reckoned with in the genre.' The album received airplay in the UK, Germany, the US and Holland. Shortly after their summer 2002 UK tour, drummer Nick Gipson was recruited and the three-piece recorded the pop EP, 'Nicotine and Tar', of which reviewers noted 'a big improvement. The band is clearly starting to develop an identity of their own' playing 'anthemic radio rock' and 'daring to be uplifting rather than mining melancholy'. Filtered's second and final album, the definitive 'See Straight Through' (2004), saw a complete assimilation of their pop, punk, indie and even progressive rock influences into a whole, with more complex songs and arrangements. A busy 2005 saw the release of the 'Shaping the Truth' EP and as a live band, their explosive sets and a chance meeting led to the band touring Slovakia in May 2006. After a few gigs upon returning to the UK, Filtered split up unexpectedly in August 2006. After Filtered, Nick played in a few rock bands before selling his kit sometime in 2009. Before Fraser quit music in mid-2009, he along with Kabir formed Run Don't Walk, now a synth-rock five-piece. Kabir is still in Run Don't Walk and co-writes and performs in other side-projects.

Filtered were an indie-rock trio from London, UK, active between 2000 and 2006. Kabir Sheikh (guitar/vocal) and Fraser Whitehead (bass) had played in various bands before the duo recorded Filtered's debut album, 'New Moon', in January 2001. Reviews stated 'Filtered have plenty of strong melodies [and] brilliant songs, played by fine musicians... a new force to be reckoned with in the genre.' The album received airplay in the UK, Germany, the US and Holland. Shortly after their summer 2002 UK tour, drummer Nick Gipson was recruited and the three-piece recorded the pop EP, 'Nicotine and Tar', of which reviewers noted 'a big improvement. The band is clearly starting to develop an identity of their own' playing 'anthemic radio rock' and 'daring to be uplifting rather than mining melancholy'. Filtered's second and final album, the definitive 'See Straight Through' (2004), saw a complete assimilation of their pop, punk, indie and even progressive rock influences into a whole, with more complex songs and arrangements. A busy 2005 saw the release of the 'Shaping the Truth' EP and as a live band, their explosive sets and a chance meeting led to the band touring Slovakia in May 2006. After a few gigs upon returning to the UK, Filtered split up unexpectedly in August 2006. After Filtered, Nick played in a few rock bands before selling his kit sometime in 2009. Before Fraser quit music in mid-2009, he along with Kabir formed Run Don't Walk, now a synth-rock five-piece. Kabir is still in Run Don't Walk and co-writes and performs in other side-projects.